Quality Road Looms Large in Met Mile

In his first two starts as a 4-year-old, Quality Road quickly established himself as a powerhouse in the older male division, cruising to an easy win in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope at Gulfstream Park and coming back to crush the competition by nearly 13 lengths in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap.

So dominating was his performance in February’s Donn that it earned Quality Road a 121 Beyer Speed figure, by far the best earned by any horse in any race at any distance so far this year.

Monday, Quality Road returns to action in the 118^th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Metropolitan Handicap, one of the most significant races on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) calendar and one which has been won by such luminaries as Holy Bull, Forego, Buckpasser, Kelso and Devil Diver.

“He’s been training very, very well, and we’re confident heading into the race with him,” said trainer Todd Pletcher of the Elusive Quality colt, who carries the colors of Edward P. Evans and highweight of 124 pounds in the Met Mile. “This is a tough spot, but we think we know him well enough and know that he’s run well fresh enough times that we have an idea of what he needs to be ready.”

As a 3-year-old, Quality Road came off a nearly four-month layoff to set a track record of 1:13.74 for 6 1/2 furlongs in the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga Race Course, one of three track records on his resume. Regular rider John Velazquez is back aboard Quality Road, who breaks from post position 7 as the 4-5 favorite in the one-mile race.

Although Quality Road looms tough on Memorial Day, seven quality opponents will line up alongside him for the Met Mile.

Heading the Met Mile competition is the Ian Wilkes-trained Warrior’s Reward, who arrived from Kentucky Thursday evening in pursuit of his second Grade 1 victory of the year. The 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro colt scored his first last month at Aqueduct Racetrack, getting up to win a foggy running of the Carter Handicap by a nose.

In his most recent effort, Warrior’s Reward finished second, beaten a half-length by Atta Boy Roy, in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.

“He’s had a good season so far,” said Wilkes of Warrior’s Reward, who is owned by A. Stevens Miles, Jr. “The Met Mile will be a tough race. It’s a Grade 1 and they don’t just hand those out.”

Coming in to ride Warrior’s Reward, who will leave from post position 4 as the 9-2 choice on the morning line, is Calvin Borel, replacing the injured Julien Leparoux.

Nosed out at the wire in the Carter was Musket Man, who will be making his first start at Belmont Park in the Met Mile. The millionaire son of Yonaguska has been an astoundingly consistent performer throughout his career, compiling a record of 6-1-4 in 11 lifetime starts. Last year, Musket Man came off back-to-back victories in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby and Grade 2 Illinois Derby to finish third in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and in his most recent effort was third in the Churchill Downs behind Warrior’s Reward.

New York’s leading rider, Ramon Dominguez, has the mount on Eric Fein’s colt, who is 5-1 on the morning line and who drew post position 3.

Stonestreet Stables and Gulf Coast Farms’ Kensei is a familiar face to Belmont Park racing fans, having finished third in the Grade 3 Woody Stephens last June prior to winning the Grade 2 Dwyer, and then returning in the fall to finish third to Girolamo in the Grade 2 Jerome.

In between, the Mr. Greeley colt won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and finished sixth behind Summer Bird, Hold Me Back and Quality Road over a sloppy track in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga.

Edgar Prado rides Kensei, 20-1 on the morning line, from post position 5.

Back on Opening Day at Belmont Park, Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens saddled Le Grand Cru to win the Grade 3 Westchester, defeating son Jimmy’s Convocation by 2 ¼ lengths in the traditional prep for the Met Mile. Both return on Monday, with Cornelio Velasquez aboard Le Grand Cru, 15-1, and Kent Desormeaux getting the call on Convocation, 10-1.

Le Grand Cru, owned by Judson Streicher, is 3-for-4 at Belmont Park including a victory in the Grade 3 Kelso last fall while Centennial Farms’ Convocation, whose last two outings as a sophomore campaign were a second-place finish in the Dwyer behind Kensei and a fifth behind him in the Jim Dandy, returned from a seven-month layoff to win an allowance at Gulfstream Park in March.

After a trip to Japan to run in the 2009 Group 1 Japan Cup Dirt, William Clifton, Jr.’s Tizway returned to action at Aqueduct in March, running off to a 2 ¾ length win in a seven-furlong optional claimer. Third to Summer Bird and Quality Road in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last fall at Belmont Park, the 5-year-old son of Tiznow has been a consistent performer since breaking his maiden two years ago at Woodbine, hitting the board in every start save the Japan Cup Dirt, in which he finished 12th.

Rajiv Maragh is aboard Tizway, 20-1 from post position. 2.

Completing the field is Jafar Abdullah Algatani’s You and I Forever, who held for second behind Quality Road in the Hal’s Hope in his first start of the year and who has been off since taking the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap on March 13. Javier Castellano rides the 10-1 choice from post position 6.

The field for the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap: